Andrea Mudd

Why did I choose Health Economics?

During my Bachelor in International Economics and Business Economics at the Erasmus School (ESE) of Economics, I took an elective course in Health Economics while on exchange. I immediately knew that I wanted to pursue this field in my Master studies, so I followed the ESE’s Health Economics specialisation. My aim was to combine my passion for health with useful quantitative skills that built upon my economic knowledge from my bBchelor.

The curriculum

From my point of view, the specialisation has a lot to offer to any student who wants to contribute to the growing field in an academic or professional setting. The programme gives a complete overview of the different facets of the healthcare industry, the skill set (both quantitative and theoretical) to critically analyse and produce research in health economics, an understanding of the global health effort, contact with insightful and approachable experts, and the ability to use important quantitative tools for work in this field.

Although it is difficult to choose, two of my favourite courses were Research Topics in Health Economics and Global Health Economics. Both of these courses were centred around analysing and discussing research outcomes, the first course from an econometric perspective and the second one from a policy perspective. During these courses I did not only develop substantial knowledge about the existing research on these topics but also gained practical experience with programs, such as STATA and ADEPT.

Contribute to projects alongside established experts

I have just started working at a pharmaceutical consulting company, and within just a few weeks I have used many of the skills acquired during the Master. With the practical experience the Master offers along with a sound theoretical understanding of the industry, I feel capable to contribute to projects alongside established experts.